I am surrounded by an encompassing darkness. All I can see is my own hands as I hold them before my face. I turn them from side to side to assure myself that I am in control again. A sense of relief washes over me because I am back in my own body. After taking this moment to enjoy the sensation of being in my own body, I try to look around. All I can see in black, an absolute absence of light; it is more than what I have ever experience being outside at night in the country. Even at night when it is cloudy there is light somewhere, even in the distance but here there was nothing. I start running forward and the sound does not even echo; it is as if the darkness not only swallows the light but sound as well. All too soon I have to stop to catch my breath, the scene does not change, and the only thing that can be seen is me. I just sat down where I was, what was the point in running? Nothing was chasing me, the scene was not changing, and I felt trapped.

“So, you finally gave up on getting out of here huh?” I heard a male voice say. It sounded familiar; something about it was nagging at my brain. I stood up a whirled in all directions to try to find a pinpoint for the voice, a light, something.

“It is just a dream anyways. So, why keep running in the dark? I just have to wait for something to happen. Or I will just wake up.” I replied attempting to keep the building anxiety out of my voice.

“This is a dream?” He asked as if he was humoring me. The voice sounded closer now yet I still seen no sign of another being near me.

“Of course it is. What else would it be?” I stated. My anxiety had worked over to annoyance which I knew would turn next to anger. To me it was obvious because things like this only happen in dreams. “A person cannot run through so a black space like this with no light; where even sound seems to disappear and it not be a dream.” I continued.

He laughed. “So logical. While normally your reasoning would be sound in this case it is not so. But I will humor you for a while. Tell me, did you like intruding upon my memories? ”

“Memories? Do you mean the other weird dreams? ” The past embarrassment and shame came back. I guess this was just one long weird dream. “I wasn’t spying on you on purpose. I can’t help what I dream. It just happens.”

“Are you still embarrassed I caught you? Or is it that I know you found me attractive?” He replied still with a large amount of arrogance in his voice. I did not notice that he had come so close. I felt as if he was standing right behind me but no one could be seen there. He tone pissed me off.

I raised my left eyebrow and my temper flared. “Wow, don’t you think highly of yourself? You silvereyed little shit. You know what I think that is what I am going to call you, Silvereyes.” I have no idea why I picked such a silly nickname or why his attitude made me so made but there it was. I was going to stick to it, regardless of how childish it was.

“Oh my!” I could hear more mirth in his voice. It felt like silk going across my skin as he laughed again. For some reason it sent chills down my spine. “If you wish to give me that as a nickname so be it. I will not be giving you my name yet, Bride. I must say though you are amusing as well as beautiful.” I could hear him closer than before, almost at my back.

“What the hell? Bride? What are you talking about?” It was like I missed a part of the dream, just totally wasn’t there for that one. Then I felt an arm snake around my waist and pull me into a warm firm body. An instant later another hand had cupped my chin and turned my head to right. I felt his tantalizing breath tease the skin along my neck, his tongue traced a path of jugular; my pulse racing. I wasn’t sure if it was fear or something more. I didn’t want to think about the something more, I tried so hard to kill that something more.

I heard him inhale next to my ear and he spoke softly. “You smell sweet. My Bride desires me and that is pleasing.” I start to struggle because I realize that I was in danger. He just pulled me tighter to him and held my chin with a firmer grip. “Shhh. Settle. I will not harm you. Silvereyes, huh? I kind of like that. I will tell you my real name soon Angelik” At the mention of my name from his lips my eyes widen in surprise. I had not revealed my name to him at all. . He leaned in closer to smell my skin again and sighed “I cannot wait to hold you in my arms. I refuse to wait longer than I must. If I thought I could, I would get you to submit to me now.” At the last it sounded more like he was pleading me then demanding me but it was not in my nature.

“No, I will not! I bow to no one!” I shouted and elbowed him at the same time. I spun around to face him only to see darkness behind me, all around me again.

“It would be easier on you if you would just submit. Come to me. Let me help you.” I clenched my fist. I was getting angry now, so furious. “I see that this too is part of your nature. Well, Angelik. I will be coming for you. You are mine.” He laughed at me while I stood there angry. I could not get to him, see him. My fist were clenched tight, nails driving in causing blood to pool, then be swallowed as well by the dark. “I love even this side of you as well, my mate, my bride. Your tenacity is beautiful, what a mate I have! To think, I had to come to this place to find you.”

I glared in the direction his voice seemed to be coming from. “Arrogant bastard. I am no man’s mate. I am better off alone.”

He laughed again only to piss me off more. “You will give into me in time. Please do be careful then, my love.” This he did not say with anger nor any sort malice in his voice. It was said all with kindness and as a statement of fact.

“Fuck you! I belong to no one. Do you hear me?! NO ONE!” I found myself screaming into the empty void. His tone and words seem to strike so many nerves. This dream was a nightmare.

“Ms. Gardner. Ms. Gardner.” Someone was shaking me. “Ms. Gardner, wake up. You’re having a nightmare. Ms. Gardner please wake up. You’re disturbing the patients.” The nurse was almost shouting as she was shaking me.

I sat up further in the beige cloth hospital chair and wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth. I blinked my eyes a few times and staring back at me was a brown eyed nurse who looked less than pleased. “I am so sorry. I did not mean to disturb anyone. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep.”

The nurse stood up and straightened her uniform. “Well be that as it may, you did. I guess it is hard to sleep in those chairs. We usually have room for the parents but all the rooms are taken up with patients right now. Look Ms. Gardner, there really is nothing you can do right now. You won’t do your boys any good if you don’t get some decent rest as well. So, why don’t you go home tonight? Your sons are both stable and the doctors from the CDC will be here tomorrow. Go home tonight and come back after you had some rest. We will call you if something changes. Don’t worry. Your sons have been stable for days.” Her look had turned concerned from the earlier disapproval from my disturbing her patients. Always a nurse I guess.

“I guess you are right. I haven’t been able to sleep well and I don’t think that tuna salad from earlier helped any. You will call me, right?” I asked while I was gathering my purse.

“Of course” Now the nurse went back to look irritated. I guess I was bothering the patients again, figures. When she seen that I was indeed going to leave she looked more relaxed and went about her rounds. It was understandable I guess I had not left the hospital in the three days since the boys were rushed here by ambulance. Our county hospital was already filled so they took them immediately out to the city, forty-five minutes away if you did the speed limit. Which this mother did not. Lexi brought me my car and had a friend give her a ride home after the first day. I haven’t seen or heard from her since yesterday morning.

After leaving all my contact information and verifying several times that they would indeed contact me if there were any changes I went out to my car. We were getting more rain and yet there seem to be people with signs standing at the entrance to the hospital. Protestors were popping up everywhere now I guess, too bad it was after our freedom of speech or to protest had been taken away. Yet, the military would come and arrest this bunch shortly only to replaced in a few hours. I looked over while I was waiting to be able to turn onto the main road. ‘The End is Here’ ‘Repent Now’ ‘Don’t Believe the Lies, it is Killing Us’ ‘They Have Come’, ‘Hell is Real’ so many dooms-dayer style signs. I took a deep breath and readied myself for the drive back home.